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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Building a Better (Cat) Bed

Our shelter takes in a lot of cats. A lot. We have two free-roaming cat rooms, but because of space issues - and sometimes because of a cat's age or personality - it's necessary for us to house some kitties in 2' x 2' cages. It's a pretty tight space, especially for an adult cat, and rough for a skittish cat because there's no place for them to hide. It's not ideal, but there's something we can do to make life a little better until these cats find their forever home.

That's where all you handymen (and women) come in! An elevated bed designed to fit into cages is a great way to give the cat a perch to sleep on, and makes it possible to provide a secluded area by draping a towel or sheet over the bed. We've found a specific design plan, one that uses easily cleanable materials to help ensure disease control and is perfect for our needs. It's a fairly straightforward project using PVC and canvas (or similar) material. If you've seen a Kuranda Dog Bed, these will look similar to those.

What we need are individuals (or groups) willing to donate the materials, time and skill to put some (one) together. This could be a great project for a Scout group or other community organization looking for a project to enhance building skills and contribute to a local cause. The plans suggest each bed takes about an hour to build and the materials would be in the $20 range. More info can be found on Shelter Medicine's website. Please spread the word, and if you're interested in helping us out with this project, email us at mtas77 @ verizon.net or call 973-744-8600. Our kitties thank you!